


Layers

by wolframbeta



Series: Like Water, Like Stone: Drabbles, Ficlets, Miscellanea [1]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:48:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25562365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolframbeta/pseuds/wolframbeta
Summary: Liara finds "sandwich" to be an ill-defined concept.
Relationships: Female Shepard/Liara T'Soni
Series: Like Water, Like Stone: Drabbles, Ficlets, Miscellanea [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1734658
Comments: 4
Kudos: 49





	Layers

"— seems like a tough decision you're making there."

Shepard's self-interruption, cutting off her previous sentence mid-thought, was enough to pull Liara out of her concentration. One hand wrapped around two energy bars, the other paused from sifting through the box, eyes skimming every label in search of an elusive (and perhaps nonexistent) third of the same flavor, she offered a sidelong glance at Shepard before resuming her search.

"Sorry, I'm listening," she said over the crinkle of wrappers. "Please do continue."

When Shepard did not continue, Liara withdrew her hand and turned to face her.

Shepard, slouching against the desk, drummed her fingers idly. "You know, if you're still that hungry," she said, beginning to stand, "I've got a better idea."

Liara gestured halfheartedly with the hand clutching the two bars she'd already chosen, not quite tilting her head enough to make eye contact. "This should be enough."

Leaning against the wall, Shepard crossed her arms, a slight asymmetrical smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. She elbowed the pressure pad to open the door. "Favorite flavor or not, that's hardly food. C'mon."

Liara uncurled her fingers, glancing down at the identical bars labeled "chocolate" before plopping them back in the box. She followed Shepard into and through the med bay, then out onto the crew deck.

As soon as Liara had formally decided to remain aboard the _Normandy_ , Dr. Chakwas subjected her to a full medical evaluation — a baseline assessment of her health and a necessary step given her potential incorporation into the ground team rotation as a ranged combat biotic. Much to Liara's surprise the doctor had, in no uncertain terms, ordered her to _gorge herself_ , and warned that noncompliance (measured in the form of weight loss) would entail an obnoxious level of scrutiny regarding adequate meals and snacks. Liara knew, without doubt, that Shepard's daily chats were a means to check in on many aspects of her life, aside from her snacking habits and her integration as a part of _Normandy_ 's crew. But not only were the energy bars nutritionally complete and supplemented with necessary eezo, they were much more convenient than any snack Shepard could find or prepare for her in the galley. Nevertheless, there was no use arguing with her. Liara felt mysteriously compelled to follow, even without much prompting.

It wasn't the first time they'd made this trip together. Shepard had, a few weeks prior, shown Liara where she was permitted to rummage for extra food outside of mealtimes, and had, most likely, noticed Liara did not avail herself of this suggestion. Liara could claim a combination of factors — residual unfamiliarity with the crew, intense focus on her work, general introversion, _a convenient box of correctly formulated energy bars provided by Dr. Chakwas_ — but all contributed to her preference of remaining secluded in the med-storage-closet-turned personal quarters, venturing out of her safe haven only when necessary.

Shepard's first task in the galley was to pour herself some coffee, but she quickly got to work.

"Are you one of those people who doesn't really get much enjoyment out of eating?" Shepard asked, voice slightly strained and a grimace on her face — a playful lamentation of her short stature — as she stood on her toes to better reach one of the pantry's upper shelves. "Food's just a means to an end, sustenance? _Aha."_ Grabbing a jar in each hand, she turned, smiling, bobbing one hand then the other as if to indicate she wanted Liara to choose.

Unfamiliar language on the labels notwithstanding, their identical cartoon graphic was clear enough — both were peanut butter. She pointed to the jar in Shepard's left hand.

"Crunchy." She winked, then, setting the other jar aside. "Correct choice."

Spring in her step amplified with the energizing coffee, her current earworm of a pop tune a bright (but off-key) whispered hum on her lips, Shepard collected the rest of the items she needed: a loaf of sliced bread, a jar of dark red berry preserves from the fridge, two plates, some napkins, a knife. In the galley's narrow space she had to brush by Liara when she passed — a gentle nudge, a light bump of her shoulder. Liara leaned against the opposite counter, near enough to watch what Shepard was doing, but she pressed her hands upon the edge to anchor herself — holding steady despite the inexplicable impulse that kept urging her to drift too close.

Remembering Shepard's initial question, Liara spoke up again. "I typically favor convenience," she explained. She rocked on her heels, adjusting her grip on the counter as she peered around Shepard to check her progress. "I will eat most things, though."

"But you do _enjoy_ food."

"I do, but —" Liara stopped herself, deflating somewhat. "It's not necessary for you to go out of your way like this. For me."

Shepard shrugged and shot her a small smile over her shoulder before finishing a spread of peanut butter on the second plate's slice of bread. "Because this is such a burden," she deadpanned, tipping the slice over onto the one already coated with jam.

Had her smile not curled into a lopsided smirk, Liara would have missed her sarcasm.

"And you," she continued, handing Liara a plate, "are a habitual under-eater."

Hands gripping each end of the plate's diameter, Liara followed Shepard into the mess. Shepard pulled out a chair so she could sit beside her.

"So," Shepard said, preparing to take her first bite, "is this a new one for you?"

Following Shepard's example, Liara chewed, then nodded. Though the bread was slightly stale, the jam and peanut butter combined were perfectly tangy, salty, and sweet.

"Well, what do you think?"

"I like it." Liara studied the layers of bread, peanut butter, and deep-red fruit spread — the visual delineation between every component clear where she'd taken a bite. "What is it?"

"It's a sandwich. Peanut butter and jelly, this time."

"But this is a sweet food." Liara furrowed her brow upon recollection of her dinner some weeks ago. On her second day aboard after her rescue from Therum, _sandwich_ had been meat, cheese, and vegetables layered between sliced bread. A savory food, but one, nonetheless, that shared a defining feature. 

"The layers are what makes it 'sandwich,'" she guessed, then took another bite.

"Yeah. A sandwich is bread with stuff inside."

Liara nodded in understanding, mouth somewhat gluey with peanut butter.

"And no, before you ask, meatloaf is not a type of bread, so it isn't a sandwich component."

"It does not belong as a middle layer?" Liara said, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.

"It doesn't belong on the _menu."_

"It would be like a burger though — and burgers are sandwiches. A subset?"

Shepard chuckled, leaning back in her chair. "Right." She brought her coffee mug to her lips, then lowered it, suddenly. "You've got jam on your chin, by the way."

⁂

The normal rotation of meals served aboard the _Normandy_ wasn't expansive — hearty stews were most common, for ease of bulk preparation — and after only a couple weeks of coming aboard Liara became acquainted with them all. Further weeks saw her yet to be introduced to a dish she hadn't already sampled (outside of evening snacks Shepard prepared for the two of them). At dinners, Shepard grumbled about the four-day periodicity of the dreaded meatloaf, rejoiced at the somewhat random appearance of chili and the recently adopted recipe for a stew native to Serrice. Flavor- and calorie-dense, it was a welcome newcomer to the limited menu. But regardless of origin, all foods served, to Liara, were tasty and filling and worth second helpings. As Shepard had noted, she wasn't picky, and the heightened use of her biotics necessitated consumption of much larger meals.

Three days after being introduced to PB&J, Liara entered the mess to find that dinner was an unfamiliar offering. Or, rather, a new variation of a familiar food.

Once she finished piling toppings on the meat portion of her sandwich, she took her seat, eager to dig in.

"That a new favorite for you, Liara?"

Her enjoyment must have been plain on her face if Kaidan, sitting diagonally from her, was able to comment on it.

Liara dabbed the corner of her mouth with her napkin, then responded, "I've yet to try a food here I did not like. What's the name of this sandwich?"

Shepard bit down on her lips to keep from laughing. Kaidan, however, chuckled openly. 

"That'd be a hot dog, not a sandwich."

Liara paused abruptly, just short of taking another bite. Puzzlement wrinkled her brow. "It is bread with filling inside."

Friendly laughter rang out at the table. Liara detected no malice, only mild amusement.

"She's right," Shepard said with a shrug, eyeing Kaidan sidelong. "It's a sandwich."

"It's not a sandwich."

"Why not?"

"It just isn't."

"Because it's one piece of bread, sliced incompletely?" Ashley suggested, entering the conversation with hesitancy.

Shepard shrugged again. "That's a sub, which is a sandwich."

"You mean a hoagie," said Kaidan.

"Same difference," said Ashley.

"Therefore, a hot dog _is_ a sandwich," Shepard asserted.

"Or a sub is a hot dog."

"Not a taco?"

"All under the 'sandwich' umbrella."

"No."

"Yes."

"No. No, no, no."

Others who'd been listening decided to jump in, the overlapping and conflicting opinions of the ensuing debate growing increasingly opaque and inane until they all ran together, completely unintelligible to Liara. She smacked her palm against the table. All the voices died down.

"You said a sandwich is bread with stuff inside, but you did not specify alternate definitions based upon different bread-filling configurations!"

Shepard raised her eyebrows and nodded. "I didn't."

Kaidan offered Liara an apologetic shrug. "It's _complicated."_

"It's not complicated," said Shepard, rolling her eyes, for which Kaidan elbowed her.

"Is a burrito a sandwich? A jelly doughnut? A slice of pizza, folded in half?" He listed each with increasing exasperation to an unaffected Shepard.

"Yes."

"No!"

"I guess I can see how a hot dog is a sandwich," Ashley said. _"Maybe_. The others, though…"

Liara threw up her hands. "It's nonsensical! You can't even agree!"

And the mock-argument began anew.

For the rest of the meal, Liara could only listen on and shake her head at the crescendo of human absurdity playing out before her.

⁂

The next day, a knock at the med storage room's door prompted Liara peel her eyes away from the text on her terminal. Checking the time, she winced. It was well past dinner.

After spending her first week or so aboard the _Normandy_ , Liara had eventually broken the habit of accidentally missing scheduled meals, where she'd be so engrossed with reading and research that even the rumbling of her stomach went overlooked. As her shyness and wariness of the crew waned, she opted to join them every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, even making efforts to participate in conversation — an example of what Shepard referred to as "coming out of her shell."

But, liable to hit snooze on her omni-tool reminder too many times, missing a meal still happened occasionally.

Like today.

"About yesterday's dinner," Liara said, turning off her terminal's display as Shepard entered the room, dinner tray in hand. "Is it really such a contested topic? The definition of 'sandwich'?"

Shepard scoff-laughed. "Well you're wasting no time getting into the important questions. Deep in thought about this, still?"

"And why even choose 'sandwich' as the umbrella term? Why not something that seems to be more general, perhaps, 'bread with filling'?"

"Honestly? I was just messing with them."

Liara arched her brows crossed her arms, consternation feigned. "So you were only pretending to agree with me."

Shepard placed the tray on the desk and sat, leaning back, ankle on the opposite knee and fingers laced behind her head. 

Liara knew Shepard was studying her, the contented smile and the warmth in her gaze making it all too difficult to return or sustain eye contact. That casual confidence she projected would be her undoing. She kneaded her hands in her lap, staring at her knees lest she become overwhelmed.

When Liara finally managed a glance upward, Shepard cocked her head. "It's interesting to see the world anew, from your perspective."

"It is hardly _the world_ ," Liara said, pushing through the timidness that threatened to dampen her voice. "Only a specific category of food, or more specifically, my confusion regarding classification thereof."

"Still."

Liara could almost hear Shepard's smile intensify.

"Anyway, busybody, I brought you something better than energy bars." She scooted the tray closer to Liara, gesturing vaguely to the plates piled with a mismatched meal — salad, sauteed vegetables, pasta, _meatloaf_. "I had to scrape up leftovers this time. Normally it's 'you snooze you lose' around here, but I've got you covered, as usual. Brought you something special this time, too."

"Thanks for looking out for me." With a bashful chuckle under her breath Liara pulled the tray directly in front of her, studying the various offerings. "I'm familiar with most of this, but what are these?"

On the small plate she pointed to was a multitude of golden brown rings of similar thickness but differing diameters, the color and texture of their surface indicative of deep-fried batter. Two small vessels contained what she assumed to be dipping sauces, one red, one white.

Liara looked quizzically at Shepard.

"That's the 'something special,'" she said, the corners of her eyes crinkling with the beginnings of a playful smirk. "Onion rings. Onion on the inside, breading on the outside. So according to your definition…"

Liara shook her head, a smile brightening her face. "It's a _sandwich."_

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place around Chapter 10 of [Somewhere Among the Stars](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21379375?view_full_work=true) (early-ME1, pre-relationship [Petra Shepard](https://1esk19.tumblr.com/tagged/petra%20shepard)/Liara T'Soni).
> 
> This work has not been beta'd.


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